Nine Questions

Matt Costa

Matt Costa is a singer-songwriter from California who has always had a passion for music and "trying to figure out really what it is about songs that make us feel something." He released his fourth album Feb. 12 and kicks off his album tour in Tucson at Club Congress on March 14.

What was the first concert you ever attended?

It was a classical music-on-the-green concert in my hometown. I laid on the grass and all the old folks drank wine ... It was in Cypress, Calif.

What are you listening to these days?

Right now I am listening to some Bach harpsichord concertos. I'm listening to No. 1 in D minor and No. 4 in A major.

What was the first album you owned?

It was Queen Greatest Hits.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love that you just don't get?

A couple of weeks ago I was watching my friend's band play down the street from my house and there was this club inside of a bigger club and the big club had like a ... kind of like a drum and bass show. And people were losing their minds in there. So I walked in and I think ... I'm not into ... I don't think I have enough Ecstasy to get into that.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most likely see perform live?

I'd like to see Caetano Veloso. He's a Brazilian songwriter.

Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Searching Wham! with my friend Danny on YouTube.

What song would you like to have played at your funeral?

Maybe I'll take requests.

What band or artist has changed your life and how?

Jerry Lee Lewis, "Great Balls of Fire." When I was a kid, I would hear it on the radio. I'd call in every day—well, almost every day—to the oldies station to request it. I loved the way it sounded on the piano. And that was really the first time I felt really moved by rock 'n' roll and music.